Plug receptacle



C. M. PETERS-5E?! PLUG REOEPTACLE Filed March 2'7, 1928 Patented Jan. 8, 1929.

' UNITED STATES 1,698,449 PATENT? OFFICE.

CARL M. PETERSEN, OF TZRENTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGIFOB TO CIRCLE F MFG. (30., OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION .OF NEW JERSEY.

i. I I PLUG 'REGEPTACLE.

Application filed 1mm 27, 1928. Serial No. seam.

This invention relates to electrical c onnectors, and more particularly to an 1mprovement in receptacles; for cord plugs, known to the trade as flush receptacles.

. 5 A primary object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical and strong construction which may be readily and economically manufactured.' and assembled, and 1 which whenin use'will rove durable and satisfactory in service. eceptacles for receiving plugs are commonly used in walls, baseboards and floors, and because of the r more permanent nature must be of apractical strong and durable construction since replacements are .not as often made as in the case of sockets or other receptacles.

And, furthermore, they are subjected to greater wear and tear than receptacles for receiving lam s or the like, and usually cars "2 ry currents 0 lar e watt power for electri cal. devices other t anlamps, such as vacuum cleaners, washing machines, and the like. Accordingly, the present invention aims to provide a construction which will satisfac- 2 torily meet these re uirements. I

A further object o' the invention is to provide a novel means for fastening the insulated receptacle to the supporting strap or carrier which will facilitate the making and so assembling of the device, and also, provide a rigid and substantial connection between the rece tacle'and its ,su port. This feature is essential because the p ug is pushed in and 'out of the receptacle, and unless it is rigid 3a and able to withstand repeated insertions and withdrawals of the plug, the device would of course readily loosen and fail. The

particularmanner of assembling the receptacle, and'the strap eliminates screws or oth- 4o er extra parts and at the same time is desirable in manufacturing. 1

A further objectof the invention is to pro-v vide novelmeans for holding the receptacle terminals in position in the insulating recep- 4- tacle body.- y I a s A still further object of'theinvention is to provide a novel form of receptacle terminal avinga yielding portion for engaging with the plug terminals, and also ca" wires. I

With the which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the

. mg hew- M- with the binding screws for aflix ing the line above and othercbiects in view same consists in the novel construction, com- .bination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in-the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a face view of the receptacle taclemember, on a larger scale, and Figure 7 is a perspective view of the strap or support for the receptacle.

member and strap, by which it is attached detail perspective of one of I Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughoutfthe several B0" figures of the drawings. I I

According to the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the device consists of a metallic strap or support 1 for supporting and carrying the receptacle proper or socket 2, the latter-being of porcelain, hard fibre or othe'rinsulating material,

and provided with means for cooperatingwith the strap to facilitate initial assembly and positioning of one part with reference to the-other, as well as permitting both parts to be readily and rigidly locked together in a simple and expeditious manner.

Referring further to'the metal strap or I support 1, it will be observed that the opposite ends thereof are preferably offset tbward the face of the device and provided with slots 3 for the reception of screws or other faste'nings for connecting the strap to v the usual metallic outlet box or the like, not

shown. The intermediate portion of the bodypf the -strap 1 is formed with a' central openm paralle walls 4-4 WhlCll the receptaclefl to revent twistm or turning of the same in t e strap. The ody bounded on opposite sides by the v, I rovide straight 1' sides at diametrically opposite points of-the opening for receiving a corresponding parties 0 of the strapat the sides of the opening at' I right angles to the parallel walls 4-4 is provided with the bendable lugs or tongues 14, which as is shown in Fig. 7 are initially offset from the plane of the body thereby to permit the entrance, from the face of the strap, of the diametrically opposite shoulders 13 on the insulating receptacle 2. After the receptacle 2 has been inserted in the central opening of the strap as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the bendable lugs l4=will be bent to the plane of the body of the strap as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, and thus constitute means for prevent-mg the disengagement of the body 2 from' the strap 1 when the plug is pulled out of the receptacle. It will, of course, be understood that the insulating receptacle 2 is prevented from passing entirely through the central opening communicate with theplug terminal receiv-- of the strap 1 because the rear face of the circular shoulder portion 18 engages the parallel portions 4-4 of the strap as well as the portion of the strap surrounding the opening. Figs. 2 and 3 clearly illustrate the manner in which the insulating recepe tacle 2 is locked in the strap.

Referring further to the socket member 2 which is of porcelain, hard fibre or other insulating material, it will be observed that the same comprises a circular head portion 5 which presents the shoulders 18 previously referred to at the rear thereof, and is pro-' vided with the openings 6 for receiving the jack blades or plug terminals 7 carried by the head 8 of the plug. The body 9 of the receptacle is partially circular and partially straight sided to correspondingly fit the central opening of the strap or support 1. In other words, the cross-sectional shape of the body 9 corresponds to the. shape of the opening in the support, and in the arrange ment shown is designed to key into the support in such a way that relative rotation of the receptacle and strap are impossible, while at the same time the shoulders 13 of the body which cooperate with the lugs 14:

assist in preventing withdrawal of the plug from the strap, in combination with the shoulder 18 as is previously. indicated.

As will be observed from Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, the insulatin provided with opposite channe s C which ing openings at one end thereofl'and hold in the opposite end thereof the receptacle terminals 10.

The receptacle terminals and the mannerof placing and holding the same in position is one of the novel and distinctive features of the invention. That is to say, the receptacle terminals 10 consist of a body portion which is doubled upon itself to provide the opposite side walls 10 and 10", the

latter being provided wth a threaded opening for receiving the wire binding screw 16 while the wall 10 is continued as-indicated body 9 is at.15 to provide a spring contact finger for engaging with a pl u terminal blade 7. The

upper ends of the c annelsC are provided with the grooves 17 at opposite sides thereof for receiving the edge portions of the wall 10 of the terminal. As the grooves 17 open from the end of the body 9, and the fingers 15 are narrower than the walls 10 of the terminals, it will be apparent thatthe'said I terminals may he slid into the grooves fromthe open ends thereof until the web portions thereof abut against the portions 9 of the body lying at o posite sides of the channels G. Then, or the purpose of locking the plug terminals 10 in position, the outer sides of the web portions thereof are-adapted to be engaged by a strip of insulation 11, see

Figs. 2 and .4, which is securely held in place by a metallic strip 11 riveted or. otherwise secured in the insulating'body, thereby preventing accidental withdrawal or removal of the receptacle terminals 'andfirmly l1old ing them in place. This arran ement, also, provides convenient exposure o the binding screw *16. y p

To assemble the socket memberand strap, no screws or added parts are needed. The lugs 14 of the strap are initially bent into the positon shown in Fig. 7, which permits the shoulders or ears 13 of thesocket mem- 'ber to pass through the slots from which said lugs were bent up, until the rear shoulder 18 of the head 5seats against the front side of the enlarged central portion 4 of the strap. The shoulders 13 and 1.8 therefore constitute spaced abutments' adapted to en gage opposite sides of the receptacle carrier or strap 1. The'lugsla are then bent down into the full line position of Fig. 2, in which they engage the shoulders 13. The strap andsocket member are thus rigidly and permanently secured together.-

Likewise, after the strap and socket member or receptacle are assembled, the plu terminals 10 may be slid in the grooves 1 and held rigidly in their assembled positions by fastening down, the insulation 11 through the medium of the strip 11 and the "ing and bendable lugs at opposite sides of the opening, and a rece tacle provided with spaced abutments one 0 which is adapted to engage with the face of the carrier and the other of which is ada ted to engage with the the carrier.

I 3. In electrical receptacle of thejclass.

bendable lugs when nt into the plane of 2. In a device of the class described, a receptacle carrier strap havin a central angular opening, bendable lugs mitially deflected-from the plane of the strap and directed toward the opening,'and an insulated plug receiving receptacle having an angular body adapted to fit in said 0 ening and pro! vided with an annular shoul er for abutting with one face of the carrier strap and wit s aced shoulders for entering the'slots provlded. by the initially bent up lugs whereby when said lugs are bent down'into the, plane of the strap, .the're'ceptacle is locked in position.

described, the combination of a socket mem-.

ber'having a circular head, areduced body' ber comprising a pair of spring. contact 7 portion and .a pair of. diametrically opposite shoulderson the latter, and a strap. adapted to be attached to an outletbox and having -an'. .enlarged apertHred central portion adapted to be passed over said reduced bodyportion into engagement with the rear face of said head,-said strap havingapair .01

bent up lugs adapted to be bent down into engagement with said'shoulders-to lock it described asocket them 4, A' device of the class described includ head and .a reduced. body to said socket member.

in an insulated receptacle having separate su stantially T-shap'ed channels,'saidchan- I body oisaid 1 finger portions lying in t e channe s and nels communicating with-openings in the face, rece tacle. terminalmembers having channels and havin blade en extending toward said openings in: the face of the rece tacle, and means for holding said terminals in said channels. f I '5. A. device of the class described including an insulated. rece tacle having-separate channels,'said ch'ahne s communicatin with openings in one .face of the receptac e and having opposite grooves in the ed es thereof, terminal members ,having the si esthereoffittin in said grooves and havingreduced exten ing-bl'ade engaging finger portions ly-' ing" in the'channels and toward-said openings in the face of the receptacle, means for holding said terminals in said channels, said meanscomprisingan insulatedstrip engaging bot-i1 of said terminal members, and

ortions fitting in the wide portions. gmg

jastening means carried by the body and engaging said strip.

6. In a device of the class described, an insulated receptacle body' including a channel communicating at one end with a jack blade receiving opening, and having oppositegrooves in the other end thereof, a

terminal member comprising a body. doubled upon itself to provide opposite wings connected by an intermediate web, one of said wings providing a resilient 'contact finger and the edges of said wing entering said -grooves while the web en ages the body at the sides of the channe and insulating means secured to the body and overlying the web of the terminal to hold the terminal member in place. I

i 7. In an electrical receptacle of the class described, the combination of a socket memshoulders; and a strap to sustain said mem her having -.a pair of lugs adapted to be.

bent down into enga ement with I said shoulders to lock it to said socket member.

pbrtion havin Tgrooves parallel to its 8X18, and a pair'o s ringcontact fin ers, the edges of one port1on of'ea'ch of'w ich fit in certain of said grooves, and means to retain said fingers in said body-portion;

9. In an' electrical 'rece tacleof the class i described, a' socket mem er having a circular head portion, a body ortion of re 1 duced diameter and a pair o diametrically.

opposite ears adjacent said head portion, a pair. of spring contact fingers seated in said -"reduced portion, means secured to the rear end of said reduced portion to retain said fingers, anda strap adapted to be passed ,oversa'id reduced portion and abut the rear faceof said head, arts of said strap being constructed and a e. ted to be bent into and socket mem er together. 3

' signature.

8; In an electrical rece tacle .of the class 1' comprising a a position to'enga e sai ears to lock said strap In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix m CARL M. PETERSEKQ I 

